COURIER L 40 IFE, JAN. 18–24, 2019 M B G
ast week, Mayor DeBlasio
gave his State of the City
Address.
But many who tuned in
likely had no idea Hizzoner
was delivering his annual report
on the status of our five
boroughs, because rather
than dealing with local issues,
DeBlasio used his time at the
podium to portray himself as
a national progressive leader.
The mayor barely said a
word about the still deplorable
conditions at Nycha publichousing
complexes, citywide
homelessness, the rise in subway
crime due to some law-enforcement
officials’ decisions
not to criminally prosecute
fare beaters, disrespect shown
to our cops, or real ways to
solve the opioid crisis plaguing
local families.
Instead, DeBlasio chose to
promote his new scheme providing
free healthcare to illegal
immigrants living in New
York City, and highlight a second
policy that requires smallbusiness
owners provide two
weeks of paid vacation to all
employees — which many
claim drives yet another stake
into the hearts of these momand
pop operations.
He also said, “There’s
plenty of money in the world …
it’s just in the wrong hands,”
and then, channeling his best
Robin Hood, proposed allowing
the government to seize
private residential properties
owned by landlords deemed
unfit by the city’s mostly liberal
bureaucrats.
I think it is safe to say that I
am not the only one whom De-
Blasio left longing for an actual
assessment on the state of our
city following the address he
gave. Should he have gotten it
right the first time, here is how
his speech might have read:
“My fellow New Yorkers,
starting today, I will not use
any more taxpayer funds to
travel around the country to
preach my progressive gospel
as I try to lead a national movement,
and lay the groundwork
for a possible 2020 presidential
campaign. Instead, I will focus
on the festering problems in
our city that I have ignored, or
made worse, during my tenure.
When it comes to the New
York City Housing Authority, I
have too often blamed the state
and federal governments for
not providing additional funding.
But the real issues are
my administration’s mismanagement
of those funds, and
my choice of housing-agency
leadership. I also now recognize
that the city itself is New
York City’s biggest slumlord,
and consequently see the hypocrisy
in suggesting our government
seize property from
lousy landlords. And since the
federal government provides
more than 90 percent of funding
for public housing, I must
seek a working relationship
with President Trump and his
administration, rather than
just constantly attack him.
My friends, I understand
providing taxpayer-funded
healthcare to those who came
here illegally is a slap in the
face to the countless residents
here legally, some of whom
must work second and third
jobs to support their families
and provide healthcare. Instead,
we will use some of that
money to educate New Yorkers
on the various low-cost healthcare
plans already in place,
and work to pass laws allowing
more small businesses to
provide pooled insurance to
employees at lower costs.
I am alarmed by criminals
on the subways that
feel emboldened because of
the recently adopted, go-soft
approach some of our lawenforcement
officials take
towards them — such as Manhattan
District Attorney Cy
Vance’s decision not to criminally
prosecute turnstile
jumpers. What’s even worse
is the lack of support many of
our men and women in blue
may feel due to actions my administration
has taken that
indicate it gives the benefit of
doubt to scofflaws instead of
police.
Finally, my initiative that
brought needle-disposal bins
to some city parks has been
a dismal failure, because it
turned these recreational
spaces into shooting galleries
where no law-abiding citizen
or family would want to spend
an afternoon. So instead of
hiring a taxpayer-funded staff
to clean up discarded syringes
in the parks, I will simply remove
these boxes. And I will
immediately suspend plans to
create four supervised-injection
centers — which allow addicts
to inject heroin and other
drugs with sterile syringes
under medical supervision —
in our city, reallocating that
funding toward treatment programs
that can break those users’
dependency on drugs.
Yes, my fellow New Yorkers,
I now realize that my progressive
policies are progressively
bad for out city. And
there is no time like the present
to reverse course, as a return
to bad old days could be
just one bungled policy away.”
Bob Capano is a professor
of political science of more
than 15 years.
THE RIGHT
VIEW